These bars are a great to have on hand for snacks or breakfast on the go. With ingredients like oats, bananas and peanut butter you (and your kids) will feel satisfied and fueled for whatever you have on your agenda.
This recipe does not list any added sweetener. If your kids (or you) prefer a sweeter bar you can add one tablespoon of pure maple syrup or honey. Very ripe bananas tend to be super sweet so we find these to be just right for our tastes.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease a 8×8 baking dish.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Spread in prepared dish.
Make as even as possible.
Smooth the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges just start to brown and middle is set but looks wet/undercooked. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
I cannot wait to share this with you! I made this a week ago and I don’t know why I waited this long to share it! I think it’s because I didn’t get around to taking pictures that day, and by the time I wanted to..it was all eaten! My mom and sister LOVE vanilla and honey, so this quickly turned into their favorite. We use it in everything we would put honey it, It is that good!! Enjoy 🙂
Cut open 1 vanilla bean. You will have to push firm to open the skin, but not too firm that you cut the whole thing in half!
Peel away the sides of the vanilla bean with your knife and fingers.
Scrape out the vanilla bean seeds with your knife. Don’t worry if you can’t get all of them out, because you are putting the whole pod in the honey jar anyways.
Set your scraped vanilla pod seeds off to the side. I got about 1/2 a tsp out of 1 plump vanilla bean.
Chop or cut (with kitchen scissors) your hollowed vanilla bean into thirds.
Drop your hollowed chopped vanilla pods into your honey jar. I used and old (pint size) honey jar for this recipe.
Pour 2 cups of honey into your honey jar.
Carefully drop your pile of vanilla bean seeds into your jar filled with honey.
Stir, stir, stir. I stir my honey and vanilla with a kabob stick. I use an up and down motion because the seeds like to float to the top.
To get maximum flavor, infuse your honey in the sunlight for 1-2 weeks. After 1 week, the flavor and scent will be much stronger. When the vanilla flavor is strong enough for your taste, put it back where you usually keep the honey. It will keep just as long as a jar of regular honey will.
*Before using, stir because the vanilla pod seeds tend to migrate towards the top.
Use vanilla honey in anything you would normally use honey and vanilla in. Get creative! We put ours in raw milk kefir, coconut butter, coconut milk ice-cream, pancakes, and tea lattes!
My kids had no idea it wasn’t regular cookie dough and thought I was treating them. I am sure that if I bring this to a party and set it down on the table, no one would be the wiser and everyone would be begging for the recipe. Hehe. Bet you’ll never guess the secret ingredient.
I adapted this recipe from one I saw on Chocolate Covered Katie.
Prepare the Chickpeas and Dates
Skip this step for chickpeas if you’re using canned chickpeas or already have some cooked. But still do the date part.
Place dried chickpeas in a medium bowl and cover with warm water. Allow to soak for at least 12 hours, preferably 24.
Also place dates in a bowl and cover with 1/2 cup warm water. Do not drain. Soaking water is used in the recipe.
After soaking is done, drain and rinse chickpeas. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until tender, about 2-3 hours.
Drain and allow to cool.
Prepare the Dip
Put all ingredients, including soaking water from the dates but excluding the chocolate chips, into a food processor or blender and blend until very smooth. Start with the smallest amount of cream and add more to reach desired thickness. Stir in chocolate chips.
Chill in the refrigerator for an hour before eating to let the flavors meld. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Serve with fruit slices, spread on pancakes, top waffles, use as a filling in crepes or eat by the spoonful.
* I like adding egg yolk for extra vitamins, but it isn’t necessary. I don’t recommend adding it if you plan on leaving the dip out at a party. In that case use chia seeds or flax meal for extra vitamins. Any of them can be omitted though.
Healthy Grain Free granola that’s crunchy and nutty with just the right sweetness and good ol’ coconut oil for some healthy fats.
Put all in a blender or food processor and blend until just fine chunks.
You can eat this raw at this point or you can put it on a cookie sheet spread into a bar about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake at 300 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden.
Allow to cool and then crumble.
Serve warm over fruit or serve raw with fruit.
You can store in the fridge or freezer for later use.
Great with yogurt and plain as well.
You can add all sorts of grains and dried fruits as desired.
These are so fun to make with children, they are sweet and wholesome, as well as versatile. No cooking required!
Mix equal parts of peanut butter and honey. Gradually stir in the coconut until the mixture is stiff enough to roll into little balls.
Roll the dough into small balls and then roll them in Rapadura (which is more finely ground than Sucanat.)
You may also add raisins or other chopped dried fruits or chopped nuts. Other nut butters can be substituted as well.
Cover tightly and store at room temperature.
I had some egg whites to use up after making pudding, so I “whipped up” some coconut macaroons. I took a basic recipe I found online and improvised with healthy sugars and the orange flavoring. They came out great!
Preheat oven to 300° F. Grease a cookie sheet.
In mixer add egg whites and beat until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Gradually add the honey, stevia, and extract.
Turn off mixer and gently fold in the shredded coconut. You want the mixture to be stiffer than meringue (not soupy), but not as thick as cookie dough. If it’s soupy, add a little more shredded coconut.
Drop by rounded spoons onto cookie sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes.
Dates stuffed with cream cheese and dipped in chocolate…wow! These decadent little treats are a holiday tradition!
In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and shortening together. Cut a slit in each date big enough to remove the pit, then stuff each one with a spoonful of cream cheese, closing it back up afterwards. Dip in melted chocolate and top with a pecan half. Repeat with remaining dates, then place in the freezer or refrigerator to firm up. Enjoy!
The earthy and sweet beets are a great addition to this moist and nutritious chocolate snack cake. The sugar is greatly reduced because the beets impart a sweetness, plus there are a lot of eggs and protein from the coconut flour. Beets and chocolate, who knew?
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 9 x 13″ baking dish.
Gently melt butter in a saucepan, stir in cocoa powder and set aside too cool a bit.
In a separate bowl, beat together sucanat, eggs, vanilla and salt. Add sifted coconut flour and baking powder. Beat until no lumps remain.
Add chocolate mixture and pureed beets. Mix until combined.
Pour batter into baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
This kid-friendly fudge recipe has a hidden ingredient your kids will never guess!
In a food processor, combine the beans, peanut butter, sucanat and vanilla and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Turn the processor on and pour in the oil while running, adding enough oil to make a smooth mixture. Scrape down the sides and make sure it’s combined completely. Taste and add stevia as needed to reach your desired sweetness. Add salt, if needed. Pour into an 8×8 pan and chill until firm. Cut into small pieces.
Yummy raw cookies from the dehydrator
Soak sesame seeds for about 12-24 hours.
Spoon out and put in food processor. (You can put dates in a high powered blender first to make a paste or just add them in the food processor as is. I like to make a paste first.)
Add coconut and dates to food processor and process for about 45 seconds. Spread mixture evenly on paraflex sheet and “score” with a knife into squares.
Dehydrate on 145 degrees for 1 1/2 hours (during this time, the air temp will not get above 100 in the dehydrator) and then switch it to 105 degrees to continue dehydrating for 7 to 9 more hours-depending on your choice of chewiness.
Yummy plain or serve with almond butter for an extra bit of yumminess!! (Sorry, the picture on my blog shows coffee with them. It was a moment of weakness for me, but it was organic at least!!)
After many, many rounds (I actually bought a super-saver box of 1000 sticks), I am proud to present a very yummy popsicle.
In a small pot, combine 1/4 cup carrot juice and gelatin over medium heat. Stir until gelatin is dissolved, approx 3 minutes.
In a large measuring cup or small bowl, combine melted gelatin mixture, remaining 1 3/4 cup carrot juice, raw cream and raw honey.
Whisk very well.
Evenly divide among a six-pack of popsicle molds. Freeze immediately, overnight.
* Regular store-bought honey has been pasteurized, which means it has been heated and strained to obtain a clear product that is easier to pour. Unfortunately, many of nature’s beneficial enzymes get lost in the process. Raw honey still contains all of those valuable enzymes. If raw honey can’t be found, regular honey may be substituted in equal measurements.
Make homemade nut and fruit bars better than the store by using highly digestible already soaked and dehydrated nuts.
Process dates, dried fruit, cocoa powder and sea salt in food processor until all chopped up. It will be like a thick paste, and perhaps even roll up into a ball. Remove from food processor to a bowl.
Put nuts (and seeds or coconut, if using) in the food processor. Process until a coarse meal.
Break up the fruit paste into chunks and add back to the food processor. Add chocolate shavings or mini chips (if using). Process to incorporate all ingredients. It may roll up into a ball. Press with your finger – does it hold together? If not, add additional water, tablespoon by tablespoon to achieve this.
Press the dough into a stainless steel 8-inch square cake pan. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes until hardened sufficiently for easy cutting.
Bring out of refrigerator and cut into bars. I do 18 bars – 6 rows of 3 bars each. Each bar is 1 inch by 2 inches.
Store the pan of bars in the refrigerator, covered tightly so they don’t dry out. Or wrap each bar individually and store in the refrigerator – for an easy grab and go snack!